Chaos Rings: Daybreak and Dusk
by Gazing on the Arabesque
Summary: Novelization. Four couples are forced to compete in the mysterious Ark Arena. The prize? Immortality. The cost? Their lives. Watch Escher, Museia, Eluca, Zhamo, Ayuta, Shea, Olgar and Vahti as they compete in this deadly tournament.
1. Dawn: Part 1

**And it's CHAOS RINGS! I am seriously IN LOVE with this game. It's so ADDICTING, and I LOVE all the characters. All their stories were so engaging. And Ayuta's story just blew me away. So basically, this fic is a narration of the ENTIRE game, of EVERY story, with a few extra scenes thrown in and other scenes extended to give the story more depth. So we'll be starting with Escher's story, titled Dawn. After this, we'll do Eluca's (titled Sunrise), then Ayuta's (titled Sunset), then Olgar's (titled Nightfall). Keep in mind that this is the order you should play the stories if you want to get the game's full experience. For example, Escher's story will seem kind of dull if you play Eluca's first, and if you play Olgar's story before Ayuta's, Ayuta's story will seem really repetitive and boring. Not to mention, there is a HUGE spoiler for Ayuta's story RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF OLGAR'S. So enjoy the first part of Escher's story!**

XX

Escher leaned back in bed. Having just taken his medicine, he felt rejuvenated and energized, but decided to follow the doctor's orders for once, now that he had free time on his hands. He sighed. He tried to keep his illness a secret from everyone, but one of his colleagues found out and reported it to his boss. Soon enough, his boss forced him to take medical leave, even though Escher knew that he was still well enough to fight. It was bright and sunny outside, but suddenly, a shadow enveloped the room. Escher sat up when he realized that the shadow only seemed to be growing larger and larger. Soon enough, the entire room was cloaked in darkness. Escher sprang out of bed, shoved the bottle containing his medicine in his pocket, and grabbed his sword. The darkness grew more profound as the last shaft of light disappeared. Suddenly, everything went black…

* * *

Museia stared up at the sky. It was a clear, cloudless blue, and the sun was shining brightly. Running her fingers subconsciously over her rapier, she glanced around at all the children playing. One of them, a young brown-haired boy, ran up to her. "Museia, Museia!" he called. "Come play with us!" Museia gave a small smile as the boy tugged at her hand and pulled her with him. She stared up at the sky, only to see something eclipsing the sun. The children began to panic as the entire area grew dark. Museia drew her rapier cautiously.

"Everyone, get behind me!" she ordered. She glanced around and pointed her rapier in various directions as the darkness grew more and more profound. She cast one glance back at the children, who were all motionless, expressions of shock, anxiety and worry frozen on their faces. When Museia stared up at the sky, everything went black…

* * *

When Escher opened his eyes again, the first thing he noticed was that he wasn't in his room anymore. He appeared to be in some grand golden hall with people he didn't recognize littered across it. There were two knights, one a man with long blonde hair and the other a girl with pink hair cropped short. Then there was a black-haired girl dressed in an elaborate pink kimono with a brown-haired boy about her age standing cautiously in front of her, as if he were protecting her from something. Next to them was a tall, muscular, dark-skinned girl standing next to a much younger, equally dark-skinned boy. Finally, there was, quite literally, an old married couple, looking slightly solemn as they gazed at their surroundings. "What is this place?" Escher asked, scanning the crowd.

"Die!" a female voice shouted. Escher turned his head, only to see a blonde woman lunging towards him, brandishing her rapier. Escher swerved smoothly out of the way, and she knelt on the floor. He unsheathed his sword and placed it on her shoulder.

"Why did you do that, woman?" he asked. The woman turned to glare at him. There was pure, unadulterated hatred in her eyes.

"Hmph," she grunted as she stood up and dusted off her clothes.

"You don't want to tell me?" Escher asked, sounding slightly amused. "Fine. Wouldn't be the first time a woman hated me." He placed his sword back in its sheath and crossed his arms. "But I will say this. Try anything like that again…" He narrowed his eyes dangerously. "And I will kill you." He scrutinized the woman's features as she pointedly ignored him. Still, judging by the way she dressed, Escher supposed she didn't live too far away from him. "Hey woman," he greeted. "You're from my country, right?" The woman just glared at him. "Do you know what happened?" The woman crossed her arms.

"I don't see why I should answer your questions, you bastard," she shot back angrily. Escher smirked.

"Ouch," he said. "Now you've hurt my feelings. We've just met, and you already hate me." He shook his head and chuckled. "Anyway, all I remember is the sky getting pitch-black even though it was the middle of the day." The woman kept her silence. Escher smirked again. "Nothing to say, huh." But what if… "Hey… you didn't kidnap me and bring me here or anything, did you?" This time, the woman did answer.

"No," she replied, still glaring at him. "But… you may be here because I wished you to be."

"Huh?" Escher asked. "What are you talking about?" Her lips twitched upwards in a bitter smile.

"I'm so happy to see you again," the woman said. "Escher." Now it was Escher's turn to glare at her.

"How do you know my name?" he asked. "I've never seen you before in my life!" The woman fell silent and began glaring at him again. Escher's hands balled into fists. "Hmph. This is pointless." And with that, he turned on his heel and walked away. The others had migrated elsewhere, leaving the two knights there in the room. Still, Escher felt that he would rather explore the area than talk to these two strange people. He made his way to a staircase that led down into an entirely different area. The dark-skinned couple eyed stood there, eying him warily. Escher chose to ignore them and continued gazing about the room. Finally, the boy spoke.

"Even if you were being attacked," the boy said in a serious tone, "that's no excuse to draw your sword against a woman…" The girl crossed her arms.

"This is no time for petty squabbles," she warned. "We need to assess the situation calmly and precisely." It took a minute for Escher to realize that she was talking to him.

"Hey," he defended, crossing his arms. "She's the one who attacked me." The boy stared blankly at him. Though his eyebrows were furrowed slightly, Escher could sense no malice from him.

"You're not from our country," he observed. "Why are you here? Did you take us to your country?"

"That's what I'd like to know," Escher countered. "I don't have the faintest clue what's going on." The girl clasped her hands together and stared at the floor.

"Keia, god of the sun…" she mumbled under her breath. "Omali, god of the moon…" She looked up at Escher and her partner. "When these two gods cross paths, it is said that the world will end… It's just as the legends say… Except…"

"Something's not right," Escher finished. "The fact that we're alive."

"Not to mention this…" the girl continued, "unnatural force I feel…" Escher stared up at the ceiling. Suddenly, it felt as if someone placed a tremendous weight on his shoulders.

"No doubt about it…" he mused. "Something wants us dead."

"I have a bad feeling about this…" the boy whimpered, his strong façade quickly disappearing.

"I bet we'll be seeing the lord of this place soon," the girl said, more to herself than to the others. "Whether we want to or not." Escher made his way back to the main room. The blonde woman from before was still glaring at him, so he made his way around her, down the staircase on the opposite side of the room. Down this flight of stairs was the old couple and the couple with the black-haired girl. Escher couldn't help but notice that the old man and woman seemed completely unfazed by these unusual circumstances. He took a deep breath and walked up to the man.

"Hey," he greeted. "Do you have any idea what's going on here?" The old man paid no attention to him.

"This time, we will end it for sure," he said.

"Yes," the woman next to him agreed. "We will put an end to this once and for all."

"Um…" Escher said awkwardly. "Excuse me."

"I'm thinking about our current situation," the woman told him calmly. "I don't feel like talking to you know."

"I wasn't talking to you," Escher snapped back. "I was talking to Mr. Macho over here." He jerked his thumb in the old man's direction.

"I have nothing to say to you," the old man told him seriously. Escher smirked.

"Well that isn't very nice," he said as he backed up towards the other couple in the hall. The black-haired girl was panicking and the brown-haired boy was clasping her hands, desperately trying to calm her down.

"Father?" she gasped. "Mother? Where is everyone? What happened to us?" Her voice rose higher in pitch and volume with each question.

"Princess Mana, please calm down!" the boy pleaded. "Wherever this is, I don't think we're dead. It looks like we're in another country… Perhaps we've been spirited away."

"Wait, so you guys don't have any idea what this place is either?" Escher asked incredulously.

"Spirited away…" the girl Mana continued as if Escher hadn't said a word. "Maybe that's why it became dark so suddenly?"

"I don't know," the boy said uncertainly. "But I can say this." He grimaced slightly. "This place is extremely dangerous… I can feel it in the air."

"Ayuta…" Mana mused. The boy Ayuta gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, Princess Mana," he assured her. "I will protect you with my life." He released her slowly and stared up at the ceiling. "What is this presence I feel… Is a human capable of this?"

"I don't know," Escher answered. "But something's not right here."

"I can see that," Ayuta agreed. "Whatever it takes, I will protect Princess Mana, even if it costs me my life."

"Ayuta…" Mana whimpered. "I'm counting on you…" Escher sighed and made his way back to the main hall. The blonde woman had stopped glaring at him, but now resorted to ignoring him altogether.

"It looks like all ten people here are divided into couples," the pink-haired knight girl observed.

"Now that you mention it…" Escher mused. "But why did I get stuck with her?" He glanced briefly back at the girl.

"That's true," the pink-haired girl agreed. "You certainly don't look like a couple… Have you met her before?" Escher gritted his teeth together.

"Never in my life," he denied.

"I'm Garrick, and this is Alto," the blonde-haired knight introduced. "We are fellow knights in the same order. We were attacking a castle when, all of a sudden, it grew dark well before evening. Our friends and enemies seemed to freeze in place, and before we knew it, we found ourselves here."

"That's exactly what happened to me," Escher said. "Except for the attacking the castle part." Garrick smirked.

"When you consider the couple factor, this situation becomes truly fascinating," he commented. "Don't you agree?"

"More like a pain in the ass," Escher retorted bitterly. Garrick chuckled softly.

"I see," he said understandingly. "I can understand that. But me, I was getting tired of my life anyway." Escher glowered at him.

"How can you possibly get tired of your life?" he asked. Garrick looked confused for a brief moment before his eyebrows furrowed.

"Hey…" he whispered. "Can you feel that?" Escher turned around, almost subconsciously. The blonde-haired woman was staring straight at him, but Escher knew there was someone else there.

"Yeah…" Escher whispered back. "Someone's watching us."

"It must be the host that invited us here," Garrick pointed out. "And it doesn't look like they want to throw just any old kind of party." He smirked again. "I can't wait to see what they have to say."

"Welcome, champions of the world," a new voice said, sending a chill down Escher's spine.

"What was that?" he gasped, drawing his sword and glancing around nervously. From the stairway on Escher's left came the dark-skinned couple.

"Eluca, what was that?" the boy asked. "Who said that?"

"Quiet, Zhamo," the girl Eluca snapped. "Whatever it is, we'll be fine." Next came Ayuta and Mana from the stairway on Escher's right.

"Did you guys hear that?" Ayuta asked, running to the center of the room.

"Ayuta, I'm scared…" Mana whimpered.

"It'll be ok, Princess Mana," Ayuta coaxed. Finally, the old couple arrived, looking impassive and bored as usual. There was a loud boom, and a black metal figure stood on a balcony near the ceiling.

"Wh-What is that?" Alto asked, a hint of fear to her voice.

"Is it human?" Garrick asked. "No, it can't be… What is that thing?"

"I am the Agent," the black armored figure said.

"The Agent?" Alto repeated. She quickly grasped Garrick's hand and squeezed it tightly. Escher noticed that they were both wearing silver rings. Were they engaged?

"Escher and Museia," the Agent said. "Zhamo and Eluca. Ayuta and Mana. Garrick and Alto. And, Olgar and Vahti."

"How does he know all our names?" Zhamo whispered to Eluca.

"Don't ask questions," the old man, presumably Olgar, warned Zhamo.

"Welcome, my children," the Agent greeted in an emotionless voice. "Welcome to the Ark Arena, where the world's strongest compete… and where you now will fight for your lives." Mana instantly panicked and Ayuta stepped in front of her.

"For our lives?" she repeated. "No… No, I don't want to die!"

"Calm down, Princess Mana!" Ayuta yelled. "I promise, I'll protect you!"

"Did you just say…" Eluca started. "Fight for our lives?"

"All of you here are but one sheep in two bodies," the Agent continued. "The person standing next to you will be your partner on this journey." Escher cast a sly glance at the blonde girl, Museia. "Of course, we do not ask you to do this for nothing." Escher raised his eyebrows. "To the last pair left standing, I promise eternal life and eternal youth."

"Immortality?" Escher clarified, smirking. "I like the sound of that."

"Me…?" Museia mumbled. "Pair up with… him?"

"You may not refuse to compete in the Ark Arena," the Agent instructed. "Likewise, ou are prohibited from fighting until I allow it."

"What happens if we break these rules?" Escher asked, smirking arrogantly.

"You will pay with your lives," the Agent answered mechanically.

"Stop!" Eluca yelled. "Before you speak further, answer me this! Where are we?"

"Why do we have to fight each other?" Zhamo yelled up at the Agent.

"I am under no obligation to answer your questions," the Agent replied. Garrick just glared at it.

"Hmph," he grunted. "You really think we're stupid enough to fight each other just 'cause you say so?" He drew his large sword and pointed it at the Agent. "Know what I think? I think it's be easier to just kill you and escape."

"I take it you do not intend to fight in the Arena then?" the Agent asked after a brief fight. Garrick's smirk widened as he let out a laugh.

"Oh, I intend to fight," he said. "I'm just going to fight you!" He sprung at the Agent and raised his sword, only to be knocked back by the its large arm. The Agent stared at Garrick with its glowing red eyes.

"Only death awaits those who do not follow the rules," it said. Before Garrick even had a chance to react, what appeared to be the Grim Reaper materialized in front of him. It raised one of its scythes and slashed at Garrick. Garrick was enveloped in a purple light. He gave a scream of agony, and then he was gone. Escher heard everyone in the room except for Olgar and Vahti gasp.

"Garrick!" Alto yelled, launching herself at the spot from where he disappeared. "Garrick! No! Garrick!"

"No!" Ayuta yelled as he held his arms out, trying to restrain her.

"Garrick!" Alto yelled again. "What did you do to him? Garrick!"

"No!" Ayuta yelled again. "Don't fight! You'll die if you do! Stop!" Alto relaxed slightly in Ayuta's arms before shaking uncontrollably.

"Garrick…" she whimpered, shaking. The Grim Reaper disappeared in a black cloud.

"You may be the chosen warriors," the Agent continued, "but you are not yet qualified to fight in the Ark Arena. In order to qualify, you will first need to equip the rings beyond this door. That will be your mark." And with that, the Agent disappeared.

"Did you say rings?" Escher asked slowly.

"Why do we need those?" Eluca asked.

"It doesn't matter why," Olgar said in a low voice. "If we don't play along, we'll all be killed. That much is certain." He and Vahti seemed to be the only ones completely unfazed by the scene that played out in front of them. Ayuta reached for the swords strapped to his back.

"Looks like we'd better listen to him for now," he suggested.

"I see…" Vahti said morosely. "So that's what's going on…"

"Garrick?" Alto mumbled faintly, collapsing to her knees. "This is a joke, right…? You wouldn't go down that easily, right?" Tears filled her eyes. "C-Come on out already… This isn't funny, okay? You promised we would always be together… Garrick…" Ayuta gave a heavy sigh.

"I'm so sorry, Alto…" he apologized. "If there's anything I can do…"

"Just leave her be," Museia advised. "She's in shock about what happened. Words aren't what she needs right now. Ayuta sighed again.

"Just…" he said. "Just let me know… if you need anything…"

"Garrick…" Alto mumbled again.

"What a mess," Escher scoffed. "Not like there's anything I can do about it. It's out of my hands."

"How can you say that?" Zhamo cried. "Her loved one just died!"

"But he's right, Zhamo…" Eluca said softly. "There's nothing we can do about it… although I don't entirely agree with his phrasing. Ayuta stared up at where the Agent was.

"Those things are definitely not human…" he mused. "There is no way I could defeat them."

"No…" Mana moaned. "This is all wrong. None of this should be happening… My country… What happened to my country? I just pray it's all right…"

"Why was I even brought here?" Ayuta asked rhetorically, looking rather uncomfortable and confused. "I'm just a stablehand…" A determined expression crossed his face. "Still, now that I'm here, I must keep Princess Mana safe…" Escher gave an arrogant smirk.

"If I were you, I'd pray you don't get me for your first opponent," he said cockily. Ayuta now seemed to panic even more than Mana did before.

"Damn it!" he yelled. "Isn't there any way out of here?" Mana took his hand.

"Everything will be fine, Ayuta," she coaxed. Escher found it strange that now she was the one comforting him, when he was the one comforting her just a few minutes ago.

"There's no way those things just now were human," Zhamo whimpered. "Where in the world are we?"

"I definitely didn't expect anything like that," Escher said flatly, smirking lightly. "Things are getting really interesting now."

"How can you say that?" Zhamo yelled. "Our lives are at stake!"

"Hey, I don't have a problem laying my life on the line to obtain immortality," Escher retorted snidely.

"I can't believe you…" Zhamo said quietly.

"We don't have to listen to that monster," Eluca said adamantly. "The fact that we came here from the outside means that there must be a way out. All we have to do is find it…"

"There's only one door in this whole room, though…" Escher pointed out.

"Either way, we have no choice but to move on," Eluca said, sounding slightly uneasy herself. "But still… I wonder where that door leads to…" Museia still glowered at him. Escher had to resist the urge to glare back at her.

"What do you want?" he snapped finally.

"Are you really planning to go through that door?" she asked, her tone serious.

"What other choice do we have?" he asked. "Besides, there's no point hanging around here, right? Now I don't like being told what to do, but…" He smirked. "I like the idea of becoming immortal." Museia's eyes narrowed slightly, and Escher's smirk widened. "You can come along if you want. I'm used to looking after helpless women."

"Why you…" Museia growled. "This is revolting. I've traveled the country looking for him, and now…" She let out a sigh. "Fine. You won't escape me again." Her eyes narrowed. "I'd watch your back if I were you." Escher chuckled.

"Now things are getting _really_ interesting," Escher observed. Olgar's eyes were narrowed slightly.

"So…" he said ominously. "It's begun.

XX

**Gahh, you readers have no idea how tiring it is to go through the ENTIRE scene and type out ALL the quotes DIRECTLY from the game. Not to mention, if I accidentally skip a line, I have to start all over again to get it. So I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of Chaos Rings: Daybreak and Dusk. PLEASE REVIEW!**


	2. Dawn: Part 2

**Has anyone played Chaos Rings Omega yet? Cyllis is batshit **_**insane**_**. But I still feel for her. And Theia needs to go die. Seriously. And Yorath replaced Ayuta as the prettiest male character in the games. SO SHINY! And I will never look at Escher the same way again. Dark skin + white hair = direct descendent of Vieg and Vahti. HE FREAKING LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE OHM. And his sword? It looks like Vieg's. PLEASE TELL ME I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO NOTICED THIS. Anyway, enjoy!**

XX

The door slammed shut behind Escher and Museia. They whirled around, but the door was gone, a pale blue crystal in its place. They appeared to be on a mountain. It was snowing, but Escher felt strangely warm. "What is this place?" Museia asked rhetorically. "Where are we?" Escher gritted his teeth together, resisting the urge to glance back at her.

"No use thinking about that now," he retorted. "Let's go find that ring." Escher stepped forward, and Museia seized the opportunity to stride in front of him. She kept walking without looking back once, and Escher had to break into a run to catch up. Museia suddenly stopped in her tracks, and Escher nearly crashed into her.

"Well, if you're going to keep following me…" she hissed.

"I don't really have a choice in that matter, if you haven't noticed already," Escher shot back. "Now I don't like this any more than you do, so deal with it." Museia turned and glared at him fiercely.

"You bastard…" she cursed. Escher's grip tightened around his sword as he glared at her in return. Suddenly, he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't see exactly what it was, but he could see its glowing, menacing eyes. He could tell from the way it was perched that it was about to attack Museia.

"Look out!" Escher yelled as he thrust is sword in the creature's general direction. It was a tiny blue mouse-like creature, and it cleanly avoided his sword. Museia shook her head incredulously.

"Are you serious?" she whispered. "If they're trying to kill us here, they might as well try harder." The mouse-like creature lunged at her again, snapping its jaws shut on her outstretched hand. She shrieked in pain, and Escher seized this opportunity to stab the creature, killing it once and for all. Once the creature was dead, Escher felt a slight burning sensation in his chest. He panted slightly, unsure of what just happened. It was as if his body moved on autopilot; why was he so ready to defend a girl who tried to kill him just minutes before?

"Are you all right? Are you hurt?" The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them. Museia glared at him, cradling her now profusely bleeding hand.

"I don't need your help," she shot back. Escher sighed irritably, grabbing her wrist.

"Look, that's going to get infected if you don't treat it soon," he warned, pulling her towards the pale blue crystal. "You'll just hold me back if you die because you were too _stupid_ to treat that wound."

* * *

"That… definitely wasn't there before," Escher mumbled uncertainly as he and Museia gazed up at the cat-like creature propped up against the wall.

"Hi there!" the cat chirped. "I'm Piu-Piu, your friendly inter-timespace traveling salesman!" Escher's eye twitched.

"Right…" he said shortly. "Piu-Piu." Museia cocked her head to the side.

"What _is_ that thing?" she asked.

"I don't think I want to know," Escher replied shakily. He shook his head frantically. "Anyway, do you carry bandages here?" Piu-Piu gave him a toothy grin.

"No need!" he said in a sing-song voice. Museia glowered at him.

"No need?" she repeated. "You make people fight for their lives while trying to find tiny rings in hostile environments, and you don't even carry bandages?" Piu-Piu looked slightly uneasy.

"Hey, look girlie, if you just take a look at your hand, you'll see that there really isn't any need for bandages," he clarified. Museia looked at her hand confusedly. The blood spread over her hand was now taking on a reddish-brown hue, but other than that…

"It's not bleeding anymore!" she noticed.

"No way," Escher refuted. "That thing practically chewed your hand off. There's no way…"

"You heal faster here!" Piu-Piu told them. "_Way_ faster."

"But… how?" Museia asked, dumbfounded.

"That's for me to know and you to ponder," Piu-Piu said absentmindedly. "So how 'bout them bandages?"

* * *

Escher felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as he narrowly avoided Museia's rapier. She stumbled in front of him and fell to her knees. He drew his sword and placed it gently on her shoulder, dangerously close to her neck. "I already told you," he said through gritted teeth. "Try that again, and I _will_ kill you." Museia smirked.

"So why don't you do it?" she retorted. "Right now." Escher's eyes narrowed.

"I can't," he said. "As much as I hate to admit it, I need you if I want to win this thing and become immortal."

"It won't do you much good if you're dead," Museia snapped back.

"Shut up!" Escher almost shouted. "Why do you hate me so much anyway? Do I even know you?"

"Don't even _think_ of denying it!" Museia cried. "You killed all the priest and sisters at the monastery!" Escher looked genuinely confused.

"Monastery?" he repeated.

"You killed the priest and all the sisters," Museia repeated. "They were like family to me." Realization dawned on Escher's face.

"Oh yeah," he said. "I did, didn't I?"

"You bastard," Museia cursed.

"No, wait," Escher interjected. "I let all the children get away. How are they doing these days?"

"I've been taking care of them," Museia answered after a slight pause. A hint of a smile appeared on Escher's face.

"I see," he said. "That's good to hear." Museia scrutinized his face for a few minutes. "So are we done with the reminiscing? Then let's get going."

* * *

"Museia!" Mana ran up towards them, Ayuta running behind her. "It's great to see you here!"

"Hello, Escher," Ayuta greeted politely. Museia smiled brightly at Mana and Ayuta.

"Hey, you two!" she greeted. "Did you guys get your ring yet?" Mana's face fell.

"Not yet…" she mumbled. "We're still looking for it."

"The monsters are really slowing us down," Ayuta lamented, sighing. Museia looked slightly worried.

"Really?" she asked. "We haven't really had much trouble with them." Escher scoffed.

"Are you kidding?" he retorted. "One of those mouse things practically chewed your arm off!" Museia shot him an icy glare, and Escher immediately shut up; Ayuta and Mana exchanged worried glances.

"So how are you two doing?" Ayuta asked casually, though it sounded as if he was trying hard to make conversation.

"I've been better," Escher replied.

"Same here," Museia added. Mana clapped her hands together in glee.

"See?" she asked brightly. "That's _one_ thing you two can agree on!" Escher's and Museia's eyes narrowed into slits.

"Um… Princess Mana…" Ayuta whispered. "Maybe that wasn't the best thing to say."

"Oh…" Mana mumbled. "I'm sorry…" Museia grinned.

"Don't worry about it, Mana," she said.

"Don't get too friendly with them," Escher warned. "We're going to have to kill them sooner or later." Museia turned back to glare at him. Ayuta's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Though I do not wish to fight…" he said softly. "I will cut you down if you harm Princess Mana." Escher smirked.

"_Now_ we're talking!"

"We should go, Ayuta," Mana warned. "We still need to look for that ring." Ayuta nodded.

"Yes, of course," he affirmed. "See you guys later."

"Ok, bye," Museia said, waving as they left. She threw Escher a furious glare before proceeding to the next warp crystal.

* * *

"What was the point of putting that fire out anyway?" Escher asked rhetorically. "It was just one big hassle." The two made their way to a passage leading to a new area, only to find Olgar and Alto there. Olgar had his axe drawn, and Alto had collapsed on the ground.

"Hey!" Museia yelled. "We're not supposed to fight on our own!"

"Leave them be," Escher instructed her.

"We don't need an extra combatant in the Ark Arena," Olgar said to Alto. "You're leaving this place, one way or another."

"So… strong…" Alto mumbled.

"Only death awaits those who can no longer fight," a voice echoed throughout the area. The grim reaper-like creature appeared and swung one of its scythes at Alto.

"Garrick…" she whispered before disappearing once and for all.

"How come that Olgar guy didn't get punished?" Museia whispered to Escher.

"Maybe after Garrick was killed, Alto was no longer required to follow the rules," Escher guessed. "They must not have any use for those without a partner."

"Well, aren't you calm and collected," Olgar said in a menacing tone. He had heard every word.

"I do my best," Escher retorted. _This guy…_ he thought.

_No use for those without a partner…_ Museia thought. _If that's true, why would that be the case? I get the feeling there's something we still don't know about these rules._ Olgar stalked away, leaving Escher and Museia alone. The two made their way to a sort of clearing. A large, two-headed cat loomed before them, growling menacingly at them. Escher drew his sword and pointed it at the cat.

"Get behind me," he ordered instinctively. "Now!" he shouted when Museia didn't move. Museia nodded and obeyed without question. Escher slashed at the cat, and the two moved to opposite sides to avoid a swipe of one of its paws. The cat turned its attention onto Museia, who held her rapier out hesitantly towards the cat. She gave a shriek as the cat swiped its paw at her. It slashed at her arm, which she used to block her face. Without thinking, Escher dove for the cat, sword drawn, and cleanly sliced off its two heads. The two panted slightly, and Museia cradled her injured arm to her chest.

"Ow…" she groaned.

"Are you ok?" Escher asked. He scoffed. "Clumsy girl. Here, let me see it." He reached his arm out towards her, and Museia swatted it away with her uninjured hand.

"Don't touch me!" she shot back.

"Hey, don't get the wrong idea," Escher said. "I just want my immortality, and I need to keep you around for that."

"Me, help you?" Museia asked incredulously. "Go to hell! Who cares about eternal life and youth anyway? I can't believe we're fighting to the death for something so stupid!" Escher sighed irritably. Ignoring her protests he took her arm, pulled out a handkerchief, and began wiping off the blood on her arm.

"You don't get it, do you?" he asked. "There's only one reason why eternal youth works as a reward. Because everyone participating in this ridiculous competition wants to live forever."

"That's absurd," Museia said. "I don't want to live forever."

"If you say so," Escher said reluctantly. Suddenly, something glowed in front of them, and a ring appeared in mid air. It descended down and landed in Escher's hand. "I'm taking this one."

"Whatever," Museia grumbled, pulling her arm away from him.

"That's twice you were injured now," Escher warned her. "Don't make it a habit."

"Damn you…" Museia growled. As Escher walked towards the exit, something stirred in him. He couldn't comprehend why he felt so protective of a girl who tried to kill him just hours ago. The way his body seemed to move on its own accord when she was in danger… it drove him crazy. _Stop thinking about her_, he mentally chided himself. _You just need her for immortality. Nothing more._

* * *

"What's going on here?" Museia asked as soon as she and Escher arrived in the main hall. A long table was spread across the hall, covered in a white tablecloth. Large pots were lined across the table. Olgar, Vahti, Ayuta, Mana, Eluca and Zhamo were setting down plates and utensils.

"Dinner," Mana explained, stopping near Museia momentarily. Olgar, who was right behind her, gestured towards a much smaller table in the back. Eight glasses were lined up on the table in rows of four.

"You can help us set the table," he said. "Go bring those glasses here." Escher and Museia obeyed, setting glasses down next to the plates. As he was setting the table, Escher felt a burning sensation in his chest. He stopped dead in his tracks, and Museia ran into him.

"What the hell did you stop for?" she hissed at him.

_Damn it…_ Escher thought miserably as the burning sensation grew worse. _Not again._ He turned around. "S-Sorry," he said. "Can you finish setting the table? There's something I need to take care of."

"Absolutely not!" Museia said.

"Please, Museia." There was a hint of desperation to his voice. He needed to take his medicine quickly. Otherwise… "I'll be right back." He thrust his remaining glasses into her hand and ran towards the bedrooms he had found earlier. Sure enough, his medicine was there in a drawer in one of the nightstands. As Escher opened the bottle, he realized something: he forgot to bring a spoon. "Damn it," he growled as he slammed his fist down on the wooden nightstand.

"Here." Escher whirled around, only to see Ayuta walking towards him, holding a spoon out towards him. "You're sick, right? That's why you want immortality so badly."

"Mind your own damn business," he retorted, snatching the spoon away from Ayuta. However, when Escher downed a spoonful of his medicine, Ayuta stayed by his side. "What are you still doing here?"

"Making sure you're all right," Ayuta said. "We wouldn't want what happened to Alto to happen to Museia, now would we?"

"I'm not going to die," Escher insisted. "At least… not anytime soon. I can't. There's something I still have to do."

"What is it?" Ayuta asked curiously. Escher scrutinized his face for a minute. Then…

"Mind your own damn business." Ayuta gave him a gentle smile.

"I understand," he said. "I'm overstepping my boundaries, and I apologize." He turned to leave. "You should tell Museia, though, about your illness." And then he left, leaving Escher alone in the room. Escher put the medicine bottle and the spoon away in the drawer and followed Ayuta out. Back at the dinner table, everyone else was seated at the table. Museia sat in between Mana and Vahti, pointedly avoiding eye contact with Escher. The only other seat available was one between Ayuta and Eluca, and Escher took it gratefully. The Agent loomed before them, and the grim reaper creature opened the pots, revealing different types of foods, all steaming hot. A delicious smell filled the air, though it left Escher feeling slightly nauseated.

"Dinner is served," the Agent said before disappearing with the grim reaper creature. Everyone just stared at the food.

"Eluca…" Zhamo whispered. "Do we have to eat it?" Eluca shook her head.

"No," she said. "Don't eat it. I don't trust the Agent one bit."

"I agree," Escher added. "I think he's playing us."

"M-Maybe because we worked so hard, he's rewarding us with food?" Mana suggested.

"I highly doubt it," Museia refuted, glaring at the food ahead of her.

"Just eat it," Olgar instructed as he loaded some food onto his plate. "Nothing will happen." Even Vahti had started eating. Still, Escher, Ayuta, Eluca, Mana, Museia and Zhamo all stared blankly at the food.

"Only death awaits those who do not follow the rules," the Agent's voice echoed throughout the hall.

"But I didn't even do anything wrong!" Museia cried.

"Are you saying eating dinner is one of the rules?" Eluca asked. Escher sighed.

"I don't see why not," he said as he loaded some mashed potatoes onto his plate, taking care to give Eluca some as well.

"Thank you," she said curtly as she began eating. As Escher nibbled on a roll he stared up at the ceiling. There was definitely something odd about the Ark Arena.

* * *

"No!" Museia cried, crossing her arms firmly across her chest. "I refuse to share a bed with him!"

"Says the girl who's been trying to kill me ever since we got here," Escher muttered darkly.

"Shut up!" Museia snapped at him.

"Well it's true," Escher continued. "Wasn't I the one who looked all over the place for bandages because you were too clumsy and careless to avoid getting injured?"

"Bastard," Museia growled. Ayuta and Mana exchanged worried looks.

"Ok, how about this?" Ayuta interjected. "Escher and I will share one bed while you and Princess Mana share the other. That way, everyone will be happy." Escher and Museia glared at each other for a minute.

"Fine," Escher said.

"Fine," Museia repeated. She jabbed her finger into Escher's chest. "But if you put even one toe out of line, you're _dead_."

"Try to kill me in my sleep and _you're_ dead," Escher shot back.

"Hey!" Mana interjected, stepping in between Escher and Museia. "Why don't we just go to bed? I'm sure we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." And with that, Mana began dragging Museia away from Escher.

"That is a wonderful idea, Princess Mana," Ayuta said hastily. "Come, Escher." When Escher crawled into bed, he lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling. It was all so _strange._ He rolled over onto his side and slammed his fist on the bed.

"Damn it…" he muttered to himself.

XX

**Whew. Sorry that took so long. As you can see, I added some of my own scenes in there to elaborate on Escher and Museia's relationships with other characters. So… PLEASE REVIEW!**


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